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Akritian Culture


thesmellypocket
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The Akritian People

 

 

The Akritians are a people much-reduced from their former status, yet are still famed for their shrewd politics, rowdy hooliganism and deep piety. Today, they live in the Archduchy of Lorraine.

 

History

 

Akritian origins are unclear, but tradition holds the mythical king Midas brought over Heartlander colonists. Arising from a harsh, mountainous island called Akritos near the Turkin Steppes, theirs’ was a realm of warring warrior-poets in small, fortified city-states. These warrior poets were and are the stuff of epic poem, almost certainly more fiction than fact and interweaved with the ancient pagan superstitions which often disgust modern eyes. However, the Plague of Eudokia wrought havoc on this early civilisation, leaving a clean slate on which to build in the so-called ‘Dark Age of Akritos.’

 

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An ancient depiction of the legendary warrior-poet ‘Midas’ who is said to have owned a crown so heavy with jewels it had to be suspended above his neck, and is credited with both discovering and colonising Akritos.

 

The Dark Age eventually gave way to new, more advanced polities. Governments were one of three forms: oligarchy, tyranny and democracy. Philosophy and trade flourished despite near constant warfare, and there was no sign of the cities of Akritos uniting any time soon.

 

However, after a long war known as ‘The Unification Wars’ a man called Diogenes (Sometimes called ‘The Great’) , a strange philosopher-despot said to have once lived in a barrel and to have behaved like a dog, brought all the city-states under a centralised, despotic Akritian kingdom. It was during this time that an Orenian priest called Petrus made the desperate journey to the kingdom from Aegis. He brought the nation into the Canonist faith, entirely turning upside down her views on philosophy, governance and everyday life. Temples were quickly converted into churches. Over time, the Akritians developed a doctrine different to the Orthodoxy back in Oren in some respects.

 

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A copy of a mosaic in one of Patras’ many churches, long since abandoned. Depicted in the image is Diogenes the Great, who brought not only stability and peace, but prosperity and culture, and, above all: Canonism. He is often called the ‘Second Founder of Akritos.’

 

After years of stability under Diogenes and his direct descendants, known as the Diogenoi, a certain heretical priest known as Michael brought terror to the land with his fiery words:

 

‘Diogenoi: most cowardly and effeminate of men, most shrewish and whorish of women; most impious and disgusting of wretches. I give these words unto you so that you may learn the truth of God. For I see you now worshipping at wayshrines: praying to Saints as if Gods. God spare me from such idolatry! Be ye assured that thou is of the material of the pagans, and all material may burn within the holy fire of the Creator.’

 

Michael was mocking the characteristic Diongenic love for the Saints and their deeds, yet also for the ‘material of the pagans’ - their love of classical philosophy. Michael even accused Dionysus Diogenes, the current Caesar (Co-ruler) of claiming that the Epic Poet Godilas was a ‘Canonist before the Canon.’ Such talk sparked civil war. After decades of devastating warfare which ravaged the countryside, the Diogenics and their Orthodoxy reigned supreme over the heretics. In order to quell any further religious disputes, they re-copied the dogma of the Canonist Church in order to follow it to the letter.

 

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Dionysus Diogenes with his lance. Dionysus was at best a middling swordsman and a blundering tactician, but was able to defeat the heretical rebellion after an extremely costly campaign at the Battle of Lithakia, some say by a divine miracle. By the end of the war, only ⅓ of Dionysus’ troops were left alive.

 

Near the time when Vailor was reached, the Akritians and Turkins were engaged in warfare. In the ‘Turkin War’, when Alexios Diogenes was nearing victory against the Turkins, they suffered a brutal reversal at the Battle of Nicopolis. Alexios and his bodyguard famously fought to the last, but a certain nobleman, the respected and battle-hardened Demetrios Palaiologos was able to break the Turkin encirclement and escape the field with an invaluable body of men, including cataphracts.

 

What followed was the most shameful moment in Akritian history.

 

The capital was sacked and churches looted. Nuns were raped, and a great slaughter took place among the people there. Demetrios thought the capital was unsaveable, even with her towering walls, and so, in a controversial move, he placed all his men at the coastal city of Patras. Destroying the Turkin fleet with a masterful use of incendiaries, he was able to hold off for years until the Turkins finally withdrew due to trouble at home. After a treaty of ‘Eternal Peace’ with the Turkins, the Turkins were officially the overlords of the Akritians, but in reality, exercised no power over them.he Akritians returned to their capital determined to come back bigger and stronger, breaking out of these humiliating, if unrestrictive, conditions. But it was not to be.

 

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The Akritians advance at Nicopolis.

 

Plague hit both the Turkins and the Akritians. Akritos fractured into thousand petty despots as the chariot races of each city fell into wild hooliganism, until the Pagalogoi were able to unite these and ‘Make Ariktos Great Again,’ as went their slogan. Restoring order, they took the decision to sail to Vailor and join the nobles of Oren who had brought them their faith, so many decades ago.

 

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Constantine Palaiologos (pictured), current ruler of the Akritians, is a direct descendant of Demetrios.


 

Religion, Philosophy and Politics.


 

The Akritians are a notably religious people, yet still read the works of ancient pagan philosophers and poets. They also, despite the edicts of Dionysus reaffirming firm Canonist doctrine, “unofficially” venerate several Saints, including Saint Diogenes, Saint Dionysus Diogenes and Saint Petrus, who all, according to Akritian sources, performed miracles. Another Saint included in this category is Saint Michael of Patras, who, according to legend, was blinded by the heretics so they could not read - and whose eyes regained sight so that he might continue his workings against the heretics. There is also Saint Kassia of Volos, a female composer of hymns. Apart from this, the Akritians are relatively orthodox when it comes to religion.

 

 

 

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An icon of Saint Peter, the man who brought Canonism to Akritos.

 

The Akritians had many philosophers, both before and after their joining to the Canonist family. These include Sophocles, who wrote in dialogue, Thales (of whom no works survive), who wrote works on the soul and the Gods, and Alexandros, a Canonist theologian and philosopher. Akritian philosophy is diverse, covering issues from how to live happily, to God, metaphysics and political philosophy.

 

 

In and immediately after the so-called ‘Dark Ages’, political philosophy was diverse. However, since the reign of [Saint] Diogenes, ideas of despotism and hereditary government have dominated the field. Strangely enough, those born during the rule of a despot are considered ‘Born in the Purple’ and are favoured for succession. This tradition can be traced back to the ‘Purple Room’ of Diogenes’ palace.


 

Cuisine


 

The diet of an Akritian depends on his social status and wealth. The higher orders import rare spices and sweeteners and frequently eat honey-cakes, fruits and sweetmeats. Meanwhile, the lower orders tend to eat coarse bread, salted meats and sausages, salad (which is very popular) and cereals. Olives also used to be a staple, and, whilst still present in salads, are hardly as common due to the change in climate and land. Beef is rare, and lamb and mutton tend to be reserved for the upper classes. The upper classes also eat the meats they hunt, as hunting is a common hobby among them.

 

Koptoplakous, sometimes thought to be the ancestor of baklava, is a common dessert, which in turn is derived from the Placenta cake, which was, by legend, invented by Midas himself.

 

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Placenta cake.


Akritian wines are even more renowned than those of their neighbours, the Lotharingians. The wine of Commandaria is sought by Orenian nobles to drink at special occasions, but cheaper wines such as Retsina (flavoured with pine resin) are available to drink in daily life.


 

Fighting Style

 

 

Following the Heretic War, Dionysus Diogenes reformed Akritos’ administrative system. Dividing the island into ‘Themeta’ or ‘Themes’, he appointed military governors called Strategoi (generals) to watch over these small provinces. Whilst the Basileus could appoint or remove these governors at will, and the central government held a large central army, these Strategoi were allowed to give land to soldiers in return for military service to the Themeta. As a result, the autonomy of the Themeta increased, as did their military capabilities, and they held off the Turkins and other menaces for a long time. It was only at Nicopolis that the Themeta system collapsed.

 

The Themeta system changed how the military system worked. Emphasis was removed from armoured, professional heavy infantry to provincial spearmen (which in many ways was a throwback to the ‘Hoplitai’ system dating back to around Midas’ time), and it was only the collapse of the system at Nicopolis which has reserved this.

 

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Nicopolis was the decisive moment which sparked a move back to the professional armies of old.

 

Demetrios Palaiologos, credited as the third founder of Akritos, brought in a set of reforms to confront the military reality. Emphasis was put on a retinue of hard, professional heavy infantry and cavalry cataphracts instead of spear-armed provincials. This solid corps of veterans was bolstered by small units of Peltastai, javelin-armed light infantry raised from levies. Armour also evolved when they reached Oren, but the Akritians have always been playing catchup to the other peoples of the empire in terms of armour development. Plate armour was adopted at this point. The Akritians have also been bolstered by access to the famous Lotharingian horses, including destriers and coursers.



 

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Note the Orenian-style plate armour of the man on the left, and the gauntlets and boots of the Basileus on the right.


 

The Akritians are famous for engineering and siege works. According to some, the Akritians invented the trebuchet, which they call the helepolis (city-taker.) The Akritians have in history built some massive siege engines. Phillipos, Archon of the democratic city-state of Volos, and a rival of Diogenes the Great, was said to own a helepolis so large it had a pulling crew of 1,200 men, firing 96 kilogram stones. Great siege towers and battering rams also became famous.

 

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The ram and siege tower christened ‘Nika’ or ‘Victory’ was stolen from Volos to bring her own city walls crashing down.

 

 

Entertainments

 

 

Whilst the nobles hunt with dogs and horses in the same way as the other Orenian peoples, and many nobles also participate in Orenian-style tourneys, the common people have a far different taste in entertainment. Chief among these fashions is the simple chariot-race, perhaps the most tribalistic sport known to man. There have been some devastating bouts of hooliganism during the chariot races of the Akritians, but this is partly because the teams are so intensely politicised. Often, the two major teams, the Greens (Prasinoi) and the Blues (Venetoi) often come to back one pretender or another, one side, one religious issue, or one faction within their polity.

 

During the reign of Diogenes the Great, the Blues came to represent the landed elite ,whilst the Greens soon came to represent many unlanded peoples. In addition, the Greens tended to support a strict religious orthodoxy, whilst the Blues are more divergent from the Cannon. In the city-state of Volos, which was a democracy, the two teams became akin to political parties. In one riot most of the city’s famous siege equipment was destroyed; in the aftermath the ram and siege tower ‘Nika’ was treacherously brought into the hands of Diogenes’ forces by the Blues.

 

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Riots in Volos were brutally put down by the army. The riots there are the most infamous in all of Akritian history, and opened the door to the city’s capture by her eternal rival.


 

Music


 

Like most cultures, the Akritians have two kinds of music: the secular and the sacred. The Akritians are known to have a very distinct range of musical instruments and songs, many of which are derived from before the Dark Ages.

 

Secular music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_8aSrsTlCE

 

Akritian secular music is derived from her ancient counterparts. The Akritians use instruments including the lyra (a violin-like string instrument), the lyre, the harp, the organ (used during chariot racing), the aulos (a distinct flute), and the askaulos (bagpipes.) The Akritians record their music and composers are well-known. This can lead to a bit more orthodoxy and less change in music than in other cultures. They are slightly more prudish in their tastes, and so ballads of courtly love and such tend to be far rarer than in say, the Lotharingian culture.

 

Sacred music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdhbgeGW4E&t=2389s

 

The chants of Akritian sacred music are sung in both Flexio and Akritian. They are often recitations of the stories of the saints, hymns to the Creator, or even of Canonist dogma. The Akritians are particularly proud of their choirs, which include both men and women.

 

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Kassia is one of the most famous composers of both sacred and secular music. She is one of those women venerated “unofficially” as a Saint by the Akritians.



 

Language and Dialect



 

In ancient times, Akritos had her own alphabet. However, during her rapid Canonisation in the time of Diogenes the Great she slowly adopted the Flexio alphabet, which is used almost universally among the peoples of the world. The old alphabet can still be seen in some isolated forms today, in official documents or in ancient texts, but for the most part the Flexio alphabet has superseded it.

 

Here are some phrases, nouns and adjectives used by the Akritians (Thanks to glocky for these):


 

Malista Kyrie= Yes my Lord.

Opos epithimite= As you wish.

Stis prostages sas= At your command.

Ti kanete;= How are you?

Eime (ime) kala!= I am fine/good!

Oraia (orea) mera simera= What a fine day today.

Basileus= Emperor

Doux= Duke

Count= Komes (Comes)

Baron= Varonos (Baronos)

Despot= Lord (The Akritians usually call every lord, Despot, including the Duke.)

Kalimera= Good morning

Kalispera= Good afternoon

Kalinichta= Good night

Nai= Yes

Ochi= No

Malista= Of course

Flexioi=Other Orenians

Chere= Hail/Ave

Nika=Victory

Satanikos= Someone who is evil

Kakos= A bad person

Kalos= A good person

Oraios= A handsome man

Omorfe= A beautiful woman

 

 

((Could I get a pin please?))

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This post has been returned to cultures at request of some of the Akritian players.

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